Math

Everyone knows of the pyramids on the Nile - eternal monuments of a powerful and beautiful culture, that can still take our breath away.
The pharaohs choose their sites, build their pyramids and thank Amun Re and the other Gods for their bounty.

The times were hard indeed. Our ancestors worked with their legs and backs straining against wooden plows in the stony earth. Of course, progress did not stop with the wooden plow. People always searched for better tools and more productive plants to make their work more effective.

In this video segment from Cyberchase, the CyberSquad have become separated on an island. In order to find each other they bring up a map on their Skwak Pads and try to compare positions using a coordinate grid and landmarks on the map.

Learn about the disproportionately high numbers of American Pacific Islanders serving in the United States' military from the island of Guam, along with the healthcare issues they face, in this video from the Center for Asian American Media. This resource is part of the Math at the Core: Middle School Collection.

In this video, students explore Depression-era post office murals and modern outdoor murals to learn how artists use proportional reasoning and measurement to create large-scale paintings. The video ends with the question, "How do artists use math to create large-scale paintings?" In the accompanying classroom activity, students create a group mural by using a predetermined scale factor to increase the size of a rectangular print or drawing.

Explore how credit cards work in this video from KQED. In particular, you’ll discover the impact and high cost of outstanding balances when borrowing money using credit cards. In the accompanying classroom activity, students discuss the key concepts presented in the video, including the relationship between lines of credit, debt, spending, and interest charges. They then learn to calculate simple interest. This resource is part of the Math at the Core: Middle School Collection.

Learn about a tax accounting career from a senior manager of a firm that prepares tax returns for clients, audits their business plans and finances, and helps them stay compliant with current tax laws.